August Reflections

“Things are both fine and not. Beginnings and endings are happening side by side. Life is messy and important and joyous and heartbreaking.”

These words from Meg Fee sum up August for me. This month, grey days stretched into sunny evenings with people I love. I worked, rested, then became ill and played less than I would have liked to. I visited the Peak District with work friends, appreciating slow, shared meals and a break from screens.

Autumn’s approach is accompanied by a sense of freshness – a new academic year, new projects, new colleagues, a new home further along the coast. But it also looks set to bring loss, change that isn’t so easy to prepare for.

Managing positive and difficult circumstances simultaneously has reminded me to be gentle with myself and others. This currently looks like prioritising time with my favourite people and finding comfort in quiet moments. It means maintaining motivation but not berating myself when I’m not on top form. Whatever the close of summer brings, I hope you can tread gently too.